Hair fashion has always been a fundamental part of society. Adults and children alike keep up with hair trends and even strive to set these trends. Hair fashion accessories also have become a lucrative business as companies compete for shares of the hair fashion market. Hair braiding is one area of hair fashion that has maintained cultural and social longevity.
Hair braiding is common for people of all walks of life. The process is most prevalent with people of African heritage, although people of other races and ethnicities also engage in hair braiding. The hair braiding process is often arduous and times consuming as designated groupings of hair are tightly pressed together to create a single braid. But the hair braiding process does not end once all the desired hair groupings are completed. People must take care in order to keep the braids intact. They also must resist the urge to play with the braids, despite the fact that hair braids are often so tight at the scalp that it can become itchy and somewhat uncomfortable at times.
Other issues relating to hair braiding concern color retention for dyed hair and breakage of individual braids. Washing braided hair places individual braids in jeopardy, as does dryness, which can be unhealthy and damaging for braided hair. Moreover, mineral oil's benefits to existing products is often outweighed by the fact that it is known to diminish or even remove color from dyed hair. Various products attempt to alleviate some of these issues, but there remains a need for a chemical composition that can keep the scalp moisturized while protecting the physical makeup of the braids while not causing additional itching.
One product that attempts to treat the hair and scalp is known as Sulfur 8 ™. This product is commonly used on hair, including braided hair, for its purported effects on stopping itching, hair restoration and dandruff removal. This and similar products include such active chemicals as petroleum, lanolin, mineral oil, menthol, triclosan and fragrance. However, products such as Sulfur 8 ™ are commonly criticized for possessing a foul and relatively unpleasant odor. Due to this fact, there is a need for a product that enhances the positive effects of such existing items but trades the unpleasant odor for a more pleasant fragrance. In addition to the unpleasant odor associated with existing products, these existing products also end up forming a waxy coating on the hair and scalp that can cause a matted effect on hair. This results in additional itching if left untreated. A chemical composition is needed in the market to alleviate this unhealthy issue in order to maintain the physical qualities of the person's hair.
The present invention satisfies the aforementioned needs through its unique chemical composition. Elements of existing concoctions are enhanced and expanded upon with the additional combination of ingredients employed by the present invention. The incorporation of glyceride serves a moisturizer that aids in the protection, comfort and physical maintenance of a person's hair. Shea butter also solves the typical problem of braid breakage by offering a more substantial protection to that as well as retention of color for dyed hair. Moreover, the addition of shea butter—an organic substance—also masks the traditional unpleasant odor associated with similar hair products. Because of these differences, the present invention is unique and necessary to those desiring to combine healthy hair with fashion style.